Did They Not Pray Hard Enough

[Drich]

And god doesn't know which is which unless they ask?

The A/S/King is not for God it is for us.
In order to do this as stated we must first have the right heart and/or mind set.
If we do not have it we can ask god to help us get it.

Asking for something doesn't necessarily connote humility.

Indeed, but asking is only apart of the A/S/K equasion The seeking and especially the knocking is what seperates the humble from the proud.

Why does god need for a person to humble himself before he reveals himself? Does he have self-esteem issues?

If you were invited to meet the world leaders at a grand black tie ball/dinner. would you dress the part or would you go unshowered, unbathed, and wearing your jam jams? Power demands compliance. If your willing to conform to something as trivial as a dress code under the request and authority of man's leadership, then why wouldn't you do what the creator of everything asks of you?

So belief in god is the key?

Belief in Christ enough to take Him up on what He said do.

The interpretation of the book is secondary?

The vast majority of people from the time of Christ till now either did not have a book or could not read it, so what do you think? Christ tells us we are only responsiable to what we have been given. If we have the book and can read it then we are responsiable for as much as we can comperhend, with the expectation that we spend the rest of our lives trying to further understand, along the way helping people to also understand as you do.

Does this mean that god got it wrong the first time around, and Christianity is the version of worship that he got right after a few centuries of trial and error?

One can not truly be 'free' unless first he knows he has been bound. A man in Jail knows he is bound, but a man who bought a house and can bearly afford to make that payment every month may not know he is just as much a prisioner as the man in jail, because he lives in a prision of his own choosing.

Like wise we would not know the prision of sin unless God first passed the law to identify it and all that it took to absolve sin.

Do you feel that any denomination that organizes itself into a church with leaders in specific roles is doing it wrong?

For what I understand all those churches are wrong for me. But that does not mean they are wrong for the people that attend them. We have been told to worship with all of our being for me that looks differently than someone who may attend a denominational church. I have nothing against most of them and would worship and praise in just about any of them. The only reservation I would have is the attitude of the members in a given church in allowing an outside 'Christian' worship with them.

What you describe sounds a bit like many churches which lead through a hierarchy.

That's what the word 'denomination' means. a Church or system of belief with a president, board, pope, or consoul deciding over the rules and regulation/what to believe of everyone under that specific brand of belief.

Non-Denominational Churches tend to be lead by the actual leadership with in that given assemble (Elders and decons, as per what the bible teaches.) Which sometimes is a very good thing and sometimes is not (Westbro baptist) the claim the name but do not follow the baptist doctrine.)

It doesn't really help a person who would want to understand why god never reveals himself, or why he cannot be found.

God reveals Himself, make no mistake. One simply must humble himself to receive such a revelation on His terms and not our own.